Owl Finch,Double Bar Finch
White rumped race South New South Wales throughQueensland icludingCape York into Northern Territory,were both the White and Black rumped race occur.The Black rumped race completes the range through Northern Territory and including the Northern parts of Western Australia.
They are found in Steppes and Savannas,grazing and cultivated land and also in parks and gardens.
Aprox. 10cm high.Male and Female : Black forehead and a band running from above the eyes down the sides of the head and across the throat.
The back and neck are pale brown with dark cross-barring.
The wings are a checkerboard pattern.
The rump is either Black or White depending on race.
The tail is a brownist-black colour.
The side of the head,throat and belly are white with a black band running across the breast.
The under tail coverts are black.
Generally the Bicheno Finch raising its young successfully.According to some books these finches do not except net boxes readily.The young hatch after 12 days at this point the parents need plenty of insect food.
In some respects they can be like Zebra Finches and will raise one brood after another.They should only be aloud to breed 3 times in a season.
The young reach sexual maturity early but as with other Finches you should wait until they are a year old.
The Bicheno Finch live in groups the year round also sleeping together in nests.They only form large flocks in times of drought.
In Northern Australia they breed in the second half of the rainy season as then there is plenty of food and water.
The nests are built in forked branches between 1.5-3 m high in bushes or small trees which are made of stiff dry grass,stalks and planet stems.In contrast the eastern subspecies pads out its nest with feathers.
A clutch consists of 4-5 eggs.
Along with the normal seed diet insects are also comsumed during the breeding season.
Various millets and seed mixes and small or freshly hatched meal-worms.